São Vicente Island - Roteiro
Discovered on January 22nd 1462, the island of São Vicente has the saint’s name of that day, as was the tradition. It was populated late, almost two centuries after Santiago, between 1794 and 1850. This did not prevent the rapid growth and transformation of the island into a pulsating cosmopolitan, economic, cultural and nature‑filled place. It is possible to find, at each step, precious instances of African tradition. However this island was more influenced by contributions of other origins, not only Portuguese, but also English, and even Japanese and Brazilian.
This contributed to the rapid economic development of the region soon after being populated, being connected to the establishment of Portuguese colonial ports, to foreign navigation and the establishment of English coal companies, later substituted by other fuels. Due to this development the Port Authority of Cape Verde was moved from Praia to Mindelo in 1881.
The city of Mindelo is the capital of the island and is one of the most dynamic of Cape Verde, principally from the economical and cultural aspect. Its development originated largely from the use of Porto Grande, fundamental in the history of navigation of the country. The port was installed in the attractive bay with beautiful deep waters which surround the city and to which it will always be associated, an ex‑libris which, without doubt, has made it famous abroad. More and more numerous cruise ships dock at the quay so that their passengers can visit the island. A few years ago a marina was installed instead of the old quay, now visited by numerous pleasure boats.
The cradle of Mindelo was the church square, Pracinha da Igreja, from which the first streets were set out and the first houses built. Two great influences have marked the growth of the city above all, making it forever cosmopolitan: Portuguese and British colonialism. The traveler can see these origins at each step, with family crests which delight historians and architects involved in the preservation of the heritage built here. Standing out, for example, is the Palácio do Governo (now Palácio do Presidente, or Presidential Palace) and the Câmara Municipal, or Town Hall, which bothrequire an attentive glance. Rua de Lisboa, is the nerve centre of the city, with the palace above and the sculpture of an eagle commemorating the first crossing of the Atlantic by Gago Coutinho. In the port there is more traditional commerce, including the market, and coffee houses and other establishments which hold the perfume of its rich history. It is also curious to see the Port Authority building, a replica of the Torre de Belém in Lisbon erected on the Avenida Marginal.
Mindelo is also impressive when it is seen all at once, at a distance. The ideal spot to do this is at the Fortim do Rei, or Fort of the King, the oldest and tallest construction in the city, which dates from 1852. The panoramic view which can be obtained is imposing. The contrast between the vast spreading buildings, both ordered, coloured and cared for, strikes one compared with the aridness of the surrounding landscape, in the shape of a amphitheatre. On the opposite side of the bay it increases, towards Lazareto, the Monte Cara, notable on the island. Nature and the movement of the elements have conspired to give this high place a profile which seen from the city seems to be a gigantic face.
Exponent of the culture of Cape Verde, Mindelo, apart from music and dance, provides handicrafts, a living museum which houses some of the best examples of the evolution of culture since the earliest times of settlement. From pottery to painting and tapestry, the latter in frank development, witnessed by innumerable pieces which decorate many hotels and public buildings all over the archipelago. There is prominence also for the musical cord instruments industry, namely violins and little guitars, which quite feed the flair of the inhabitants of Cape Verde for music, but especially those of Mindelo.
The young people or citizens interested in coming into contact with these art forms can benefit here from specific training, thus contributing so that these artistic gifts so profoundly linked to the idiosyncrasy of the people of Cape Verde do not disappear.
And when night falls, Mindelo is far from wanting to rest. The warm nights in the city are unforgettable with a show of the cultural energy of the country and the island of São Vicente. This is a land of poets and artists of the most varied expression, one being music. Mindelo leaves unique memories for those who visit the city and feel the beat of its tropical nights.
The streets fill up spontaneously with a party atmosphere; the magic sounds of the mornas played by mournful six‑stringed guitars and penetrating voices coming out from the restaurants where the local gastronomy gives moments of delight. Were it not that São Vicente were the last great morna metropole, with exponents such as B. Leza, Luís Rendall, Bau or Manuel de Novas, and singers such as Cesária or Bana.
Then there is the endless round of discos where apart from their own music it is possible to find, sometimes in the most improbable way, local artists with considerable talent, proving that music is embedded in the soul of the people of Cape Verde.
The fashion shows, more and more frequent in the capital of culture of Cape Verde, are at the same time a sign of the development of the Mindelo textile industry. This is an opportunity not to miss to show to the residents and visitors the beauty of the girls of the island.
And for the more refined, theatre is represented in Mindelo by an association, Mindelact, with a tradition going back almost twenty years.
The tropical, cosmopolitan nights of Mindelo are experiences without which a visit to Cape Verde would not be complete.
The old guild, well known by all from Mindelo, was some years back converted into a multicultural organization, with meeting rooms and rooms for entertainment, a library and a museum. Nowadays it is considered one of the most interesting places in the world of culture of Cape Verde.
Carnival which is a cathartic celebration of Portuguese origin, has been re‑imported from Brazil, and has reproduced here the splendor and some organization of the Rio Carnival. It has become famous internationally and is at present abreast with the Baía das Gatas Festival, one of the most notable festivals in the island. The festivities begin on the Sunday afternoon which precedes the beginning of Lent, and builds up on Carnival Tuesday with the election of the queen on Ash Wednesday, which in all of Cape Verde is one of the most important parties, a kind of farewell to the festival and abundance with the entering into the period of strict fasting and abstinence which the Church requires to keep in the 40 days which precede Easter.
However not only from Mindelo does the island of São Vicente exist. The island is multifaceted with all the characteristics coming together which have made Cape Verde a unique, unforgettable country.
Travelling to the east from the capital city one arrives at enchanting beaches, appropriate for those who want to slow down from the rhythm of a well spent evening. At the Baía das Gatas, the sea is calm and crystalline and forms a pool protected by a long wall, giving us unique moments of enjoyment. This spot is known internationally, not only for its beauty. Every year since 1984, on the weekend of the full moon in August, there is a grand music festival which has become famous and which attracts the whole of the archipelago. It also attracts many foreign countries, who transform Baia into a large open‑air festival. Numerous families from Mindelo also set up lodgings.
A short stop at the beach of Salamansa or the beaches which crown the north coast, now connected by a road from Baía to Praia Grande and Calhau, followed by a climb of the Monte Verde, the highest point of the island (774m). This completes the enjoyment of the principal beauty spots, about to be developed for tourist infrastructure, promising to completely transform the outlook of which is nowadays the tourist and economic resource of São Vicente. The international airport, now starting up flights which were never before imagined, will be foremost.
The island still has the gift of providing the advantages of nature which are appropriate to the special interests of travelers. Near the airport, the beach of São Pedro where the sea is rough and the air is keen, is a paradise for enthusiasts of windsurf at high speeds, within sight of some of the best hotels of the island. Apart from the above‑mentioned Calhau beach to the east, the praia de Topim, to the south has slightly more difficult access, but nothing that headstrong surf enthusiasts will not surmount to be able to take advantage of its unique conditions.
Even without leaving Mindelo, beach lovers may enjoy Lajinha, which has now been recovered and can be fully used.
For all this, no traveler can say that he hasn’t found on the island of São Vicente conditions to satisfy his wishes and curiosity, however general or specific they may be. All in little more than 200 square kilometres 227 – to be precise –, populated by close to 80.000 inhabitants, friendly and welcoming.
Discovered on January 22nd 1462, the island of São Vicente has the saint’s name of that day, as was the tradition. It was populated late, almost two centuries after Santiago, between 1794 and 1850. This did not prevent the rapid growth and transformation of the island into a pulsating cosmopolitan, economic, cultural and nature‑filled place. It is possible to find, at each step, precious instances of African tradition. However this island was more influenced by contributions of other origins, not only Portuguese, but also English, and even Japanese and Brazilian.
This contributed to the rapid economic development of the region soon after being populated, being connected to the establishment of Portuguese colonial ports, to foreign navigation and the establishment of English coal companies, later substituted by other fuels. Due to this development the Port Authority of Cape Verde was moved from Praia to Mindelo in 1881.
The city of Mindelo is the capital of the island and is one of the most dynamic of Cape Verde, principally from the economical and cultural aspect. Its development originated largely from the use of Porto Grande, fundamental in the history of navigation of the country. The port was installed in the attractive bay with beautiful deep waters which surround the city and to which it will always be associated, an ex‑libris which, without doubt, has made it famous abroad. More and more numerous cruise ships dock at the quay so that their passengers can visit the island. A few years ago a marina was installed instead of the old quay, now visited by numerous pleasure boats.
The cradle of Mindelo was the church square, Pracinha da Igreja, from which the first streets were set out and the first houses built. Two great influences have marked the growth of the city above all, making it forever cosmopolitan: Portuguese and British colonialism. The traveler can see these origins at each step, with family crests which delight historians and architects involved in the preservation of the heritage built here. Standing out, for example, is the Palácio do Governo (now Palácio do Presidente, or Presidential Palace) and the Câmara Municipal, or Town Hall, which bothrequire an attentive glance. Rua de Lisboa, is the nerve centre of the city, with the palace above and the sculpture of an eagle commemorating the first crossing of the Atlantic by Gago Coutinho. In the port there is more traditional commerce, including the market, and coffee houses and other establishments which hold the perfume of its rich history. It is also curious to see the Port Authority building, a replica of the Torre de Belém in Lisbon erected on the Avenida Marginal.
Mindelo is also impressive when it is seen all at once, at a distance. The ideal spot to do this is at the Fortim do Rei, or Fort of the King, the oldest and tallest construction in the city, which dates from 1852. The panoramic view which can be obtained is imposing. The contrast between the vast spreading buildings, both ordered, coloured and cared for, strikes one compared with the aridness of the surrounding landscape, in the shape of a amphitheatre. On the opposite side of the bay it increases, towards Lazareto, the Monte Cara, notable on the island. Nature and the movement of the elements have conspired to give this high place a profile which seen from the city seems to be a gigantic face.
Exponent of the culture of Cape Verde, Mindelo, apart from music and dance, provides handicrafts, a living museum which houses some of the best examples of the evolution of culture since the earliest times of settlement. From pottery to painting and tapestry, the latter in frank development, witnessed by innumerable pieces which decorate many hotels and public buildings all over the archipelago. There is prominence also for the musical cord instruments industry, namely violins and little guitars, which quite feed the flair of the inhabitants of Cape Verde for music, but especially those of Mindelo.
The young people or citizens interested in coming into contact with these art forms can benefit here from specific training, thus contributing so that these artistic gifts so profoundly linked to the idiosyncrasy of the people of Cape Verde do not disappear.
And when night falls, Mindelo is far from wanting to rest. The warm nights in the city are unforgettable with a show of the cultural energy of the country and the island of São Vicente. This is a land of poets and artists of the most varied expression, one being music. Mindelo leaves unique memories for those who visit the city and feel the beat of its tropical nights.
The streets fill up spontaneously with a party atmosphere; the magic sounds of the mornas played by mournful six‑stringed guitars and penetrating voices coming out from the restaurants where the local gastronomy gives moments of delight. Were it not that São Vicente were the last great morna metropole, with exponents such as B. Leza, Luís Rendall, Bau or Manuel de Novas, and singers such as Cesária or Bana.
Then there is the endless round of discos where apart from their own music it is possible to find, sometimes in the most improbable way, local artists with considerable talent, proving that music is embedded in the soul of the people of Cape Verde.
The fashion shows, more and more frequent in the capital of culture of Cape Verde, are at the same time a sign of the development of the Mindelo textile industry. This is an opportunity not to miss to show to the residents and visitors the beauty of the girls of the island.
And for the more refined, theatre is represented in Mindelo by an association, Mindelact, with a tradition going back almost twenty years.
The tropical, cosmopolitan nights of Mindelo are experiences without which a visit to Cape Verde would not be complete.
The old guild, well known by all from Mindelo, was some years back converted into a multicultural organization, with meeting rooms and rooms for entertainment, a library and a museum. Nowadays it is considered one of the most interesting places in the world of culture of Cape Verde.
Carnival which is a cathartic celebration of Portuguese origin, has been re‑imported from Brazil, and has reproduced here the splendor and some organization of the Rio Carnival. It has become famous internationally and is at present abreast with the Baía das Gatas Festival, one of the most notable festivals in the island. The festivities begin on the Sunday afternoon which precedes the beginning of Lent, and builds up on Carnival Tuesday with the election of the queen on Ash Wednesday, which in all of Cape Verde is one of the most important parties, a kind of farewell to the festival and abundance with the entering into the period of strict fasting and abstinence which the Church requires to keep in the 40 days which precede Easter.
However not only from Mindelo does the island of São Vicente exist. The island is multifaceted with all the characteristics coming together which have made Cape Verde a unique, unforgettable country.
Travelling to the east from the capital city one arrives at enchanting beaches, appropriate for those who want to slow down from the rhythm of a well spent evening. At the Baía das Gatas, the sea is calm and crystalline and forms a pool protected by a long wall, giving us unique moments of enjoyment. This spot is known internationally, not only for its beauty. Every year since 1984, on the weekend of the full moon in August, there is a grand music festival which has become famous and which attracts the whole of the archipelago. It also attracts many foreign countries, who transform Baia into a large open‑air festival. Numerous families from Mindelo also set up lodgings.
A short stop at the beach of Salamansa or the beaches which crown the north coast, now connected by a road from Baía to Praia Grande and Calhau, followed by a climb of the Monte Verde, the highest point of the island (774m). This completes the enjoyment of the principal beauty spots, about to be developed for tourist infrastructure, promising to completely transform the outlook of which is nowadays the tourist and economic resource of São Vicente. The international airport, now starting up flights which were never before imagined, will be foremost.
The island still has the gift of providing the advantages of nature which are appropriate to the special interests of travelers. Near the airport, the beach of São Pedro where the sea is rough and the air is keen, is a paradise for enthusiasts of windsurf at high speeds, within sight of some of the best hotels of the island. Apart from the above‑mentioned Calhau beach to the east, the praia de Topim, to the south has slightly more difficult access, but nothing that headstrong surf enthusiasts will not surmount to be able to take advantage of its unique conditions.
Even without leaving Mindelo, beach lovers may enjoy Lajinha, which has now been recovered and can be fully used.
For all this, no traveler can say that he hasn’t found on the island of São Vicente conditions to satisfy his wishes and curiosity, however general or specific they may be. All in little more than 200 square kilometres 227 – to be precise –, populated by close to 80.000 inhabitants, friendly and welcoming.
